I'm sure you will find this board VERY valuable. I'm a brickboard member too. I currently own a Volvo 740, MBZ 260e and 300e.

I have owned and maintained a bunch of Volvo's for the past 20 years and also just recently graduated to Mercedes. I find them a little more complex than the RWD Volvo's but working on any high-quality car can be a delight. Mercedes also have a great ride and the soundproofing is way above Volvo's.

You will appreciate some of the design that went into the 124 series. And probably curse a few things too, like the climate control system and serpentine belt tensioner.

It sounds like your car is pretty well maintained. I had oil consumption issues with both of my cars until I replaced the valve stem seals. With regard to the camshaft, the original service records show that the camshaft on my '88 260e was replaced under warranty at about 10,000 miles with "abnormal wear". There might have been a bad batch of camshafts because generally, like Volvo, they last about forever.